1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a image processing apparatus and method for generating pictures of objects defined in a three-dimensional virtual space as seen from a specified visual point, and to a medium with a program stored therein for realizing such picture processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
A game apparatus is known with which a player watches game pictures displayed on a display, while racing cars or the like are caused to run in a course set in a virtual space in accordance with the player""s operation, thereby causing the racing cars or the like to contend for precedence.
Such a game apparatus provides a so-called subjective picture which shows a scene ahead as seen from a visual point of a driver of a racing car, and a so-called objective picture which shows a scene ahead as seen from behind the racing car and which also includes the racing car itself. Concerning this type of conventional objective picture, its visual point is fixed, for example, at an elevated position behind the racing car. However, this fixed objective visual point has a problem in that when a course for the racing car to run has a slope and an angle of the slope changes suddenly, the visual point sinks beneath the course and, accordingly, strange pictures of a game space are displayed as seen from the back side of the course. Moreover, pictures of the course as seen from the fixed objective visual point are displayed as if the course is inclined constantly in the same manner, thereby lacking reality.
The Japanese Patent Laid-Open (Kokai) Publication No. HEI 9-167256 discloses a game picture synthesis method which is capable of solving the above-described problems, of presenting a player""s car and slopes of a course visually and effectively when the player""s car is moving in the course with varied slopes, and of displaying good pictures. This technique is a game picture synthesis method for setting an objective visual point, which faces in a moving direction of the player""s car, behind the player""s car moving in a course set in a game object space, and for synthesizing pictures of the object space as seen from the visual point. By this method, when the player""s car moves in a horizontal direction or up an ascending slope, the visual point is controlled so that it will be located at an elevated position behind the player""s car at a specified position in a world coordinate system in the object space; and when the player""s car moves down a downward slope, the visual point is controlled so that it will be located at an elevated position behind the player""s car at a specified position in a local coordinate system of the player""s car.
However, the above-described publicly known art only changes the position of the objective visual point merely mechanically by using a horizontal line as a basis, thereby lacking flexibility. The pictures obtained are unnatural, and it is impossible to expect natural pictures for a player, for example, realistic pictures like those of on-the-spot relay broadcasting of an actual car race. Moreover, although the above-described publicly known art refers to changes in the position of the objective visual point, there is no description about changes in the position of the subjective visual point. The position of the subjective visual point should be changed as appropriate in order to provide more realistic pictures.
The present invention is intended to solve the above-described problems. It is an object of this invention to provide a picture processing apparatus and method capable of providing more natural and preferred pictures by making it possible to change either the subjective visual point position or the objective visual point position, or both of them, and a medium with a program stored therein for realizing such picture processing.
A picture processing apparatus according to the present invention comprises:
a shape memory with shape data of an object previously stored therein;
a processor for setting a coordinate value of an object in a three-dimensional virtual space on the basis of the shape data stored in the shape memory;
transformation means for receiving the coordinate value set by the processor and transforming the coordinate value into a visual field coordinate system based on a specified visual point; and
visual point setting means for moving the visual point position from a predetermined standard position for a predetermined base object as defined in the three-dimensional virtual space on the basis of data of the base object as well as changes in the situation caused by the movement of the base object, and for sending a new position after the movement to the transformation means.
With the picture processing apparatus according to this invention, the visual point setting means sets a sight line direction in addition to the visual point position.
With the picture processing apparatus according to this invention, the visual point setting means sets the visual point position in accordance with a turning angle of the object.
An example of this invention is shown in FIG. 4.
With the picture processing apparatus according to this invention, the visual point setting means sets the visual point position and the sight line direction in accordance with a turning angle of the object and causes a displacement corresponding to the visual point position to disagree with a displacement corresponding to the sight line direction.
With the picture processing apparatus according to this invention, a ratio of the displacement of the visual point position to the displacement of the sight line direction is 1:5.
With the picture processing apparatus according to this invention, the visual point setting means sets the visual point position according to acceleration applied to the object when it makes a turn.
Examples of this invention are shown in FIGS. 6 through 11.
With the picture processing apparatus according to this invention, the displacement of the visual point position is proportionate to the acceleration.
With the picture processing apparatus according to this invention, a direction of the visual point position displacement is identical to a direction of the acceleration.
With the picture processing apparatus according to this invention, a direction of the visual point position displacement is opposite to a direction of the acceleration.
With the picture processing apparatus according to this invention, the visual point setting means causes a travelling direction of the object, the sight line direction, and a course in which the object should move, to disagree with one another.
With the picture processing apparatus according to this invention, the visual point setting means sets the visual point position and the sight line direction so that the base object will be situated in the center of a picture when a displacement is small, while the base object will be situated at the edge of a picture when the displacement is large.
With the picture processing apparatus according to this invention, the visual point setting means sets the visual point position by following the movement of the base object.
With the picture processing apparatus according to this invention, the visual point setting means sets a time delay between the movement of the base object and the movement of the visual point position.
As a specific example of this invention, there is a method described below:
(a) When a camera follows a car or character, and if the character moves in a vertical or horizontal direction, the camera follows the movement of the character with some delay.
(b) The camera is caused to follow the player""s character so that the camera will always provide pictures of scenes ahead as seen from behind the character.
In a specific course situation such as at the time of cornering or jumping, the camera visual point is adjusted or changed in order to show the relevant scenes of strong appeal to a player. The camera follows the movement of the player""s character with some delay, thereby enhancing the appealing effect of the visual point.
With the picture processing apparatus according to this invention, the visual point setting means sets the visual point position in accordance with a specified manipulated variable regarding the base object.
Examples of this invention are shown in FIGS. 18 and 19.
With the picture processing apparatus according to this invention, the displacement of the visual point position has a nonlinear relationship with the specified manipulated variable.
With the picture processing apparatus according to this invention, a part of the specified manipulated variable includes a dead zone where no displacement of the visual point position is caused.
With the picture processing apparatus according to this invention, the visual point setting means sets the visual point position in accordance with acceleration of the object.
With the picture processing apparatus according to this invention, the visual point position is set upon deceleration of the object so that the visual point will approach the base object.
With the picture processing apparatus according to this invention, the visual point position is set upon acceleration of the object so that the visual point will move away from the object and will approach a predetermined position.
With the picture processing apparatus according to this invention, when the object jumps, the visual point position is set so that the visual point will move away from the object after the jump, will then approach a predetermined position and will come to the predetermined position upon landing.
With the picture processing apparatus according to this invention, when the base object is the object and moves in a branched course, the visual point setting means sets the visual point position so that the visual point will move away from the object while the object is moving between a predetermined first position in front of a branch point and a second position, and the visual point will return to the predetermined position when the object passes through the second position.
A region from the first position to the second position is, for example, a selection zone for selecting a course, and the second position is a check point which is, for example, the basis for selecting the course.
With the picture processing apparatus according to this invention, the selection of the branched course is made according to the state of the object at the second position.
Examples of the state of an object are a transit position of the object, a passing speed, obtained scores, and other circumstances.
With the picture processing apparatus according to this invention, when the selection of the branched course is made, an obstructive limitation is given to a course which has not been selected.
This obstructive limitation is intended, for example, to deny a player from advancing to another course or being shown other courses. Examples of such an obstructive limitation include rocks, doors and enemies.
A picture processing apparatus according to this invention is a picture generating apparatus for generating a picture at an attention point as seen from a visual point. The visual point is set at a specified elevated position behind a moving object moving in a virtual space, and the attention point is set at a specified position in a moving direction of the moving object. The picture generating apparatus comprises visual point position setting means for moving the visual point position after, with some delay, any change in a posture of the moving object when such a change occurs, and for causing the visual point to approach the specified position of the moving object.
The picture processing apparatus according to this invention is the picture generating apparatus which comprises attention point setting means for moving the attention point after, with some delay, any change in the moving direction of the moving object when such a change occurs, and for causing the attention point to approach the specified position of the moving object.
With the picture generating apparatus according to this invention, a visual point moving speed of the visual point position setting means is slower than an attention point moving speed of the attention point position setting means.
The picture processing apparatus according to this invention is the picture generating apparatus for generating a picture of a virtual space as seen from a visual point, the visual point being set at a specified elevated position behind a moving object moving in the virtual space. The picture generating apparatus comprises:
moving direction accepting means for accepting a moving direction designation for the moving object from an operator; and
visual point position setting means for moving the visual point position in a direction opposite to the moving direction designation.
With the picture generating apparatus according to this invention, the moving direction accepting means accepts the moving direction designation of multistage levels, and the visual point position setting means moves the visual point position to a position corresponding to the level of the moving direction designation.
With the picture generating apparatus according to this invention, the visual point position setting means considers, in addition to the moving direction designation given by the operator, a turning direction of a course in the virtual space for the moving object to travel and then moves the visual point position in a direction opposite to the turning direction.
A picture processing method according to this invention comprises:
a coordinate setting step of setting a coordinate value of an object in a three-dimensional virtual space on the basis of shape data stored in a shape memory;
a transformation step of receiving the coordinate value set by the coordinate setting step and transforming the coordinate value into a visual field coordinate system based on a specified visual point; and
a visual point setting step of moving the visual point position from a predetermined standard position on the basis of data of a predetermined base object as defined in the three-dimensional virtual space as well as changes in the situation caused by the movement of the base object, and setting a new position after the movement as the specified visual point in the transformation step.
Concerning the picture processing method according to this invention, in the visual point setting step, a sight line direction is set in addition to the visual point position.
Concerning the picture processing method according to this invention, in the visual point setting step, the visual point position is set according to a turning angle of the object.
Concerning the picture processing method according to this invention, in the visual point setting step, the visual point position is set according to acceleration applied to the object when it makes a turn.
Concerning the picture processing method according to this invention, in the visual point setting step, the visual point position and the sight line direction are set so that the base object will be situated in the center of a picture when a displacement is small, while the base object will be situated at the edge of a picture when the displacement is large.
Concerning the picture processing method according to this invention, in the visual point setting step, the visual point position is set by following the movement of the base object.
Concerning the picture processing method according to this invention, in the visual point setting step, the visual point position is set in accordance with a specified manipulated variable regarding the base object.
Concerning the picture processing method according to this invention, in the visual point setting step, the visual point position is set in accordance with acceleration of the object.
Concerning the picture processing method according to this invention, in the visual point setting step, when the base object is the object and moves in a branched course, the visual point position is set so that the visual point will move away from the object while the object is moving between a predetermined first position in front of a branch point and a second position, and the visual point will return to the predetermined position when the object passes through the second position.
A medium according to this invention has a program stored therein for causing a computer to perform a coordinate setting procedure, a transformation procedure and a visual point setting procedure. The coordinate setting procedure is for setting a coordinate value of an object in a three-dimensional virtual space on the basis of shape data stored in a shape memory. The transformation procedure is for receiving the coordinate value set by the coordinate setting procedure and for transforming the coordinate value into a visual field coordinate system based on a specified visual point. The visual point setting procedure is for moving the visual point position on the basis of data of a predetermined base object as defined in the three-dimensional virtual space as well as the state of the base object.
Examples of the medium include a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD, a ROM cartridge, a RAM memory cartridge with a battery backup, a flash memory cartridge, and a nonvolatile RAM cartridge.
Moreover, examples of the medium include communication media such as a wire communication medium like a telephone line and a radio communication medium like a microwave circuit. The Internet is also included in the communication media herein referred to.
The above-mentioned medium is a medium with information (generally digital data and programs) recorded therein by some kind of physical means and is capable of causing a processing unit such as a computer or a dedicated processor to perform specified functions. Namely, any medium may be used as long as it is capable of down loading programs onto a computer by whatever means and of causing the computer to perform specified functions.